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Shaquille O’Neal | Flat Earth Theory (Episode 602)

Shaquille O’Neal (@SHAQ) has been retired from basketball for almost six years, but he’s still got his irons in plenty of fires. Here, we’ll discuss everything from superheroes to law enforcement to business to sports to podcasting to — yes — the Flat Earth Theory.

“It’s never gotten out of control because even to this day I don’t consider myself a celebrity.” -Shaquille O’Neal

The Cheat Sheet:

What real-world experience Shaq is getting to prepare for a political race in 2020.

How Shaq assembled what he calls The Panel to help manage not only his career but all his important life decisions — and how you can do the same.

Why Shaq doesn’t consider himself a celebrity (and why that still isn’t a good reason to bug him in the middle of dinner).

How Shaq manages his emotions so he stays non-reactive on and off the court.

Whether you know him as Dr. Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal, Shaq, The Big Aristotle, Hobo Master, The Diesel, Shaq Fu, The Big Daddy, Superman, The Big Agave, The Big Cactus, The Big Shaqtus, The Big Galactus, Wilt Chamberneezy, The Big Baryshnikov, The Real Deal, The Big Shamrock, The Big Leprechaun, Shaqovic, The Big Conductor, or Mr. O’Neal (if you’re nasty), there’s no denying this man has seen a lot in his 45 years — and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Shaq (let’s keep it simple) joins us for episode 602 of The Art of Charm to talk about everything from superheroes to law enforcement to business to sports to podcasting to — yes — the Flat Earth Theory. Listen, learn, and enjoy!

More About This Show — The Flat Earth Theory, Clowning Around, and Respect

Shaquille O’Neal — who doesn’t mind if you prefer to just call him Shaq — is known as a guy who likes to have fun. As a kid who learned pretty early that being a bully at his size was likely to end in a prison sentence, he found the path of class clown a more suitable calling — one that’s carried over through every endeavor since.

So when he says something like, “The Earth is flat…would you like to hear my theory?” it might be wise to take whatever comes next with a grain of salt.

But even when he’s having fun, Shaq is serious about one thing: respect.

“Respect is a key word,” says Shaq. “Like Kobe — we had our ups and downs, but we always respected each other. Want to know how I know we respected each other? In game seven, who did Kobe throw the lob to? After the championship in Indiana, who did Kobe run and jump into his arms? After the game in Indiana when Kobe sprained his ankle and couldn’t walk, who said, ‘You can jump on my back and I’ll walk you to the bus?’ The respect is there. Forget the little tits and the tats. You’re going to have that — brothers have that. Sisters have that. Married people have that. But as long as you’ve got the respect there, it’ll work.”

Listen to this episode of The Art of Charm in its entirety to learn more about how Shaq got in trouble by impersonating The Incredible Hulk as a kid, what he’s done to prepare for a run as sheriff in 2020, how he assembled The Panel to keep him on the right path in business and personal matters, why he doesn’t consider himself a celebrity, what his father taught him about good parenting, how he answers the call to competition in a fun and playful way, thoughts on leadership, how Dr. J changed his life, being a real model vs. a role model, the turning point that changed him from bully to class clown, what he really thinks about the Flat Earth Theory, and lots more.

THANKS, SHAQ!

If you enjoyed this session with Shaq, let him know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout out at Twitter:

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AJ Harbinger is one of the world’s top relationship development experts. His company, The Art of Charm, is a leading training facility for top performers that want to overcome social anxiety, develop social capital and build relationships of the highest quality.
Raised by a single father, AJ felt a strong desire to learn about relationships and the elements that make them successful. However, this interest went largely untapped for many years. Following the path set out for him by his family, AJ studied biology in college and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology at the University of Michigan. It was at this time that he began to feel immense pressure from the cancer lab he worked in and began to explore other outlets for expression. It was at this point that The Art of Charm Podcast was born.
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